Smitherman criticizes 'culture of no snitching'

Bridget Smith of Westwood, center, says fear has prevented witnesses from coming forward to put her son's killers behind bars. Rochelle Colson, left, and Hope Dudley, also have lost children to violence.(Photo: The Enquirer/Cindi Andrews)

Despite calls for his ouster as chairman of the Law and Public Safety Committee last week, Councilman Christopher Smitherman continued to attack the issue of black-on-black violence at Monday's committee meeting.

"The No. 1 solution is we've got to charge the hill on this culture of no snitching," Smitherman said after two African-American women spoke about the homicides of their sons.

However, there's a reason witnesses won't speak up, said Bridget Smith, one of the women: They get no protection, and they're afraid if they testify those convicted will be back on the street in nine or 10 years and come after them.

"We have to make the community feel safe," Smith said. "They don't feel safe to tell."

Her son, Leron Billings, was killed almost six years ago, his body wrapped in blankets and garbage bags and "dumped like garbage," she said. Police quickly identified four suspects, but they haven't been able to build a case against them because no one is willing to testify.

"What you describe to this committee is, in my opinion, an epidemic," Smitherman said. "They killed somebody and got away with it. The probability of them killing again is very high."

Several people called for Smitherman's removal as committee chairman at City Council last week because of his comments that the black community isn't doing enough to stop violence. Monday, he didn't go so far, simply calling for "zero tolerance" for homicides.

He didn't talk about witness protection, but Councilman Kevin Flynn said the committee needs to look into it.

Councilwoman Yvette Simpson, who grew up disadvantaged in Lincoln Heights, agreed: "Growing up, I never felt there was a spirit of indifference; it was almost always fear."